June 2008
by DateMe
Summary: Entries for the fanfiction section of the June contest. Entries listed in order of submission. Challenge: June Bugs, Pairing: ShinoHina.
1. Gummy Bugs by xNanakochanx

**Title:** Gummy Bugs  
**Author:** x.Nanako-chan.x  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Challenge:** June Bugs  
**Pairing:** ShinoHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in x.Nanako-chan.x's (aka, nanako9chan on DA) personal profile.

* * *

You could never know what in the world Shino was thinking. Glasses, ink black and perfectly rounded always blocked the gateway into a person's emotions. His face always remained impassive, uncaring and hardly ever revealed a smirk, smile or frown. But, deep within the abyss of Shino Aburame's uncaring demeanor, anger grew, bubbled and practically steamed inside of him.

Gummy bugs.

She had asked him for gummy bugs. Gummy insects.

His right eyebrow gave an uncharacteristic twitch. What was wrong with people these days? Didn't girls usually _cower in fear_ over these miniscule but _remarkable_ creatures? Then why in the world were people marketing _candy_ in the shape of _bugs_? With the average of a person eating seven spiders in their sleep, don't they think that people have had enough of eating insects? Not to mention all of those poor creatures being crushed and used as ingredients in candy.

Yes, there are tiny insect parts inside the dye or "confectioner's glaze" of the candy we eat.

Also, there are those _absurd_ people who candy insects. Banana scorpion lollies, watermelon worm pops, white chocolate covered ants, crickets dipped in chocolate, and farm-raised insects trapped inside a box of British toffee… Ugh, what disgusting people! Bugs were meant to be respected! They are remarkable creatures. What other thing besides the common ant cant lift something ten, twenty, or even fifty times their own body weight? Such a slender remarkable creature being capable of being so strong! And then there were those who market insects and candy them to be eaten… as a treat. How absurd – don't even get Shino started on insecticides and pesticides.

So he simply stood there in front of the large shelf of candies in the middle of the store. And stared menacingly and angrily at the large, rounded box of brightly colored candy. It practically glowed in the light of the supermarket. Alluring. Mouth-watering. Sweet. Chewy. Soft. Tasty. His usually impassive face furrowed into an angry scowl.

He raised his right arm to grab the box. Hinata _had_ asked him for them… and very politely as well. He stopped his arm. Even if the sweet, shy, Hinata Hyuuga had asked him, it was just so against his morals. He brought his arm back a little. But she did say she was really craving them. He moved his hand forward. But why should he be supporting this unjust campaign towards bug abuse?

The dark aura surrounding him grew as the debate within his mind waded on. He stood there for awhile – it could've been minutes, seconds, hours for all he knew. His inner turmoil grew. It was either be a good friend and just get the _damned_ candy, or side with his morals and walk away. He couldn't decide which. His eyebrow twitched.

Shortly, soft clicks on the hard tiled floor of the supermarket filled his ears.  
"Shino-kun?"

He turned his gaze towards his left giving whoever interrupted his reverie a cold-hearted glare. The pale-eyed girl beside him visibly stiffened. As soon as he realized who it was, he softened his gaze and his posture relaxed immediately affecting his companions' stature. She let her shoulders droop a little – a sign of her anxiety being put to rest.

"What is it Hinata?" he replied stiffly.

"W-Well, I went looking for you since you left to buy the gummy bugs over an hour ago."

She toyed with a strand of her ink-blue hair as a scarlet-red blush crept on her cheeks. Hinata knew she interrupted _something_. But why would he be brooding over a box of gummy bugs?

He cocked an eyebrow. It had been an hour? It had been an hour of debating with himself whether or not his morals allowed him to buy the cursed gummy bugs? He gave an exasperated sigh. He could easily walk away from the tall shelf of candy, but of course, he could just as easily buy the damn box already. Not to mention if he walked away, he'd probably have to go into a long and detailed conversation as to why his morals didn't allow him to buy the candy.

"Is there s-something wrong Shino?" she inquired.

"No. Nothing at all," he replied sternly.

Of course, Hyuuga Hinata was not stupid. Raised by a family with "all seeing eyes" she could easily sense something troubling the sixteen-year-old Aburame. After all, she had been his friend ever since she was a child.

As far back as she could remember the boy never did talk much. He was stern and straight to the point – almost like her father except he lacked the annoyed expressions he sometimes sends her way whenever she asked something rather trivial to him.

And of course, like her, he didn't have many friends. They were both a stark opposites to their other friend of the trio, Kiba Inuzuka. She wondered why though. Shino was a highly intelligible young man. His looks were on the handsome side - She blushed at the thought – and he never went out of his way to be rude or obnoxious. And his hobbies… Oh yes. Yes. That was it. The main reason Shino didn't have many friends – his odd fascination for bugs. There was just something truly remarkable about those little creatures that intrigued the Aburame even at a young age.

The first time she had saw him was at Konoha Park, sitting idly, wearing "A Bug's Life" themed T-shit, staring at the lump on the ground. If closely inspected you could see black little dots moving in a straight line towards the top. When she asked him what he was doing he stiffly replied that he was watching a colony of ants bring food to the queen.

Then she realized. The whole _reason_ as to why Shino was brooding over a box of gummies. She shifted her gaze towards him and realized he was still staring intently at the box of sugary treats.

"Shino?" she asked meekly.

"Hn."

He looked at her and she gave a shy sort of smile.

"We can have gummy bears if you want."

He of course would rather have bear abuse then bug abuse.


	2. Teammates and Ticks by CobaltHeart

**Title:** Teammates and Ticks  
**Author:** CobaltHeart  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Challenge:** June Bugs  
**Pairing:** ShinoHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in CobaltHeart's (aka, colbaltheart on DA) personal profile.

**Note:** This takes place right before the time skip, soon after Naruto left.

* * *

Hinata smiled at her findings, something she'd always wanted to see, to lay in, and just enjoy being there, she'd finally found it, a meadow of wild flowers, where she just knew her prince would find her and they'd kiss. Blushing at her thoughts, the heiress shook her head, that was silly, but she was happy even if there wasn't going to be a blond knight show up and sweep her off her feet, he wasn't even in town. Walking out to the middle, she was careful not to trod on to many of the beautiful plants.

When the indigo haired twelve year old laid down she smiled, this was nice. Closing her eyes she relaxed, listening to the gentle breeze that teased her skin with the petals. Reaching her hand over her she unzipped her jacket and sat up, taking it and folding up for a pillow, she figured no one would run across to see her like this.

Placing one hand on her stomach the other arm was stretched out, her slender fingers stroking the strong stems of the flowers. The indigo haired child stayed like that for a while, enjoying the feeling of just being apart of nature, not a ninja, not n heiress, just another animal laying amongst the beauty of the peaceful world. Slowly the sound of the breeze and the birds became distant, a feeling of serenity washed over her and she feel asleep.

"Hinata?" A low moan of displease escaped pinked lips, who was waking her from her slumber. "Hinata." A gentle shake made lavendar eyes open quickly.

"Huh?!" Instantly the thin haze that had covered her eyes while she slept was gone. "Sh-shino-kun? W-why are you here?"

"I suggest you get up."

"A-ah...okay..." From missions and just all around knowing Shino, Hinata knew not to question him. Still a little sleepy the usually graceful girl fell, landing with a soft thump. Her face lit up when she saw a large hand, for a twelve year old, offer to help her up.

"Th-thanks." Using the hand to help steady herself she manged to stand up straight. "W-why are you h-here Shino-kun?"

"There's a specail tick that live in this feild."

The color of the blush faded and her face went deathly pale, "W-what?"

"A meadow of flowers is a large meeting place for incests. This happens to be where a special breed of them live."

Everything spun, "H-here." Hinata had no promblems with bugs, b-but ticks where a whole other story, she could even stand fleas, but not tick, never tick.

"Hai."

Lavendar eyes widened before they darted and looked at her coat. Much to her dismay, they're were ticks, black in color, standing out against her tan jacket.

"O-oh my..."

Hinata felt hands on her shoulders keeping her steady, "Hinata, are you alright?"

Black was edging in her vision, taking a deep breath to calm herself, "H-hai." She stood there staring, pleade mentally for the bugs to get off her jacket.

"Hinata?"

"Mmm?"

"You have a tick on your arm." Shino's had cover Hinata's mouth a less than a second after she screamed. "Calm down." The bug master's hidden eyes saw her try to breathe, taking his hand off her mouth, he turned her around, her back to the coat, and cradled her arm one of his hands while the other hovered over the bug. "Close your eyes."

Nodding Hinata closed her eyes, trying not to whimper. A few seconds later her eyes felt open when she felt the tick being gently pulled off of her. Lavendar eyes watched Shino's concentration, he was careful not to pull to hard to hurt her. His head bent down so Hinata could see his whole face if she wanted, but she looked closed her eyes instead, she understood why you'd want to hide in a coat.

He looked at her once he was finished, "S-shino-kun," The boy nodded to show he was listening as he reached into his coat to get a glass jar, "thank you."

"Your welcome, Hinata."

The heiress smiled an upbeat smile, "W-well now that th-their's ticks on my c-c-coat you don't h-have to look a-as much."

A soft 'thrump' was heard when the tick hit the bottom of the jar. Some how the indigo haired girl knew her team mate was smiling under his high collar. "Yeah."

"I-I can hold the jar for y-you."

A nod of thanks was his response as he handed her the large mason jar. It didn't take long for him to get the ticks off of her jacket, when he did she noticed something, where the ticks where there were holes. Sensing her question Shino answered, "They eat cloth as well as blood."

"W-what?!" Finally it hit her, she didn't have her jacket on!! Instantly her arms crossed infront of her chest. Shino had large hands for a twelve year of, she had something else.

Noitcing something was wrong with his friend Shino looked quizzically at the red face girl, "Hinata?" He noticed her eyes were doe-like and staring at her coat. "Do you want your jacket back."

The color drained out of her face, she was stuck, walk through town with out her jacket or wear one that had tick-holes in it. "Ah..."

"What's the matter?" '

Are you really that dense! Her mind screamed at him, but she just blushed darker and looked down. He'd seen her before with out it, but the town hadn't, and she'd had wraps on the missions when her jacket wasn't on her. The one day she didn't wrap herself.

"Hinata," he stopped and looked at her, finally seeing her embarrassment. Things clicked in his head, he knew she was mature for her age, mentally and physically, and still very shy. "you can borrow my jacket, if it bothers you that much."

"I-I don't want t-to be a b-bother."

His veiled eyes looked at her, she'd voiced that he didn't want to bother him, but her eyes pleaded to let her borrow his jacket. It took a couple seconds for him to strip the khaki cloth of himself, leaving him feeling almost naked in his black shirt. "Here."

"I-I..."

"Teammates help each other in need."

Hinata smiled and pulled the jacket on, she was swimming in it, the sleeves went past her index finger and the hem was to nearly to her knees. "Th-thank you Shino-kun." Lavendar eyes kept contact with the ground, not allowing her eyes to wander to her friends reviled face.

"You can look up." She went to protest but he continued, "It's fine. I saw you vunerable, it's only fair."  
"N-no." That's not how she wanted to see him, only of it was of his own free will. "I-it's okay."

"Thank you." The Hyuuga knew if she looked up she'd really see her teammate's smile. "Let's get you home."

"B-but..."

"The Aubrame house hold isn't to far from here, we'll stop there first."

"H-hai."

No one glanced twice when they saw Shino and Hinata walked down the street together, it was usual. The matching jackets caused thoughts to wander though, in the villagers mind the Hyuuga'd finally fully jumped on the conservative band wagon, more so than ever. Others thought the Aubrame'd admitted he liked her, that he asked her to be his mini me.

When they got to the Hyuuga Manor the guard watched the two enter the complex, a small nod as greeting to the heir and heiress of two of Kohna's strongest clans. Neji was opening the door the moment Hinata reached for it.

"Hinata-hime, whe-what are you wearing?"

"Hinata's jacket is no longer fit for her, I allowed her to borrow mine."

Gray eyes blinked, well he could tell TenTen that the Aubrame had more than one jacket, unlike Hinata. "Hinata-hime?"

"T-ticks destroyed it."

Nodding like he understood, "Where is it now."

"Kuranei w-wanted to k-keep it."

His cousin was on a strange team, "Come Hinata-hime, it's time for dinner. Aubrame, thank you for helping Hinata-hime."

"Teammates help each other in need."


	3. Natural Selection by krizzlybear

**Title:** Natural Selection  
**Author:** krizzlybear  
**Rating:** PG-13 ( T )  
**Challenge:** June Bugs  
**Pairing:** ShinoHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in krizzlybear's personal profile.

* * *

Hinata is the heiress to the Hyuuga clan, perhaps the most respected family in the entire hidden leaf village. Shy, quiet, outspoken, passionate, she is an unorthodox candidate for such a prolific title. Nonetheless, her strength and confidence is brought out in the presence of those she respects and admires most.

Shino is the prodigy of the Aburame clan, a fearsome group of warriors notorious for their use of insects as weapons, particularly those that are capable of draining a man's chakra empty. Intimidating, stoic, cool, he carries with himself an aura that strikes fear into the most formidable foes. Yet, he is always willing to go out of his way to protect those he cares most about.

With Kiba Inuzuka, the three are best friends.

With the hound ninja absent for the day, Hinata and Shino are left to their own musing. They hang out; they talk about their ninja arts; they essentially do what the average growing teenager does. Under previous similar circumstances, the environmental conditions were ideal for the kikai-using male to pursue the Byakugan-bearing female. Unfortunately for Shino, such attempts were in vain, as Hinata had already chosen a prospective mate: the gold-haired loudmouth ninja, Naruto Uzumaki.

The day is a stark hundred degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 37 degrees Celsius). The pale-eyed female approaches the sunglass male. Aware of the male's previous attempts to woo her, the female knows quite well that he is willing to help her with anything, even acquiring the gold-haired loudmouth as a mate. Her approach is calm, collected, and prompts Shino with her request.

Still intending to claim her as a mate, the bug-using male has ulterior motives: to delay the pale-eyed female's mate-selection, thus improving his own chances of being selected. As a result, he reluctantly accepts her proposal, intentions set on increasing her affection.

However, Shino is not the most knowledgeable ninja amongst his peers regarding the concept of mate selection. To help Hinata, he must assert his dominance and feign knowledge with social matters, which is exactly what he does. The two make their way outside of the village into the wilderness.

An expert on insect ecology, the male shinobi instructs the female to observe a variety of insects in their natural habitat, in the process of mate selection, with the intent of applying natural principals to human intra-species interaction. Having earned the female's trust, Hinata accepts the idea, and together, they begin to monitor the activities of a pair of preying mantis.

The male mantis is much smaller than the female, due to millions of years of sexual selection and gender-specific evolution. Today is the day the female ovulates, and begins to search for a prospective father for her children. Agatha, the female, approaches Stuart, the male, and presents herself to him. Stuart accepts Agatha's proposal, and they begin to copulate. Once the ordeal is over, Agatha finds no further need for Stuart's services, and quickly decapitates him. Killing two birds with one stone, Agatha finds herself pregnant, and with a hearty meal, which will nourish her up until she gives birth.

Back at the village, the blond haired loudmouth, Uzumaki Naruto quietly eats ramen at a local restaurant. Hinata, supposedly aware of the requisites for mating success, sneaks up behind the blonde male. At the moment of highest level of stealth, Hinata punches him in the back of the head. 

Naruto knocked out cold, the female quickly steals the ramen for herself before the male gets a chance of noticing her presence. She runs away with a hearty meal, but not the boy.

Having already failed once, the quiet heiress remains steadfast in her attempts to acquire Naruto as her mate. Shino, benefited from the failed attempt, remains by her side in her moments of weakness, and encourages her to observe more insects in their natural environments. They don't have to travel far this time, as they notice a group of pests hovering over a slice of meat left on the ground of the local marketplace.

The fruit fly is an insect of general nuisance to the human population. But like many others, this species undergoes complicated social rituals during the mating process. One such ritual, as observed by Hinata and Shino, is unofficially known as the Sex Conga. Due to the uneven male-female ratio in fruit flies, the more numerous males gather together in a collective group, and begin to form a conga line in front of the picky females. By dancing in sequence, the females are able to distinguish individual males from each other, and select the most appropriate mates from the group. When males are selected, individual pairs fly off into secluded areas and copulate, and the conga process repeats again until all females have selected a mate.

Now knowledgeable of the fly mating process, Hinata and Shino sneak into the village's local hospital, where a semi-unconscious Naruto rests in bed. A large stereo in hand, Shino nods at Hinata, signaling that he is ready to begin. The female nods, and presses the power button of the stereo. Loud calypso music blares throughout the hallways. Shino stands behind Hinata and puts his hands on her waist; a two-ninja conga line forms. The blonde prospect is woken up by the loud music, and curiously inspects the hallway outside of his room.

Seeing a pair of ninja dancing in line with the music, the prospect of enjoyable recreation overwhelms the injured blonde, and begins to join the line. Soon, the line grows into a giant train, consisting of a large number of individuals, patients and nurses among them. Noticeably present is the beautiful green beast of the hidden leaf. With unlimited energy of his springtime youth, Rock Lee congas furiously, opening a few of his chakra gates in the process. Unfortunately, the loss of chakra combined with his already frail state renders the green uniformed male incapacitated.

Disrupted both by loud music and violent shaking of the hospital's structural foundation, the village's queen, Tsunade bursts into the scene, and shoots rage-filled glares the chaos abound. Yelling, screaming, and projectile furniture commences amongst at staff, patients, and of course, Naruto. The current queen, threatened by the blonde's aspirations to one day become the leader of the village (and in essence, replace her as the "queen"), reprimands him, and puts him back into his place in the social hierarchy of the village. Defeated, Naruto returns to his room, hunger, migraine et al.

Another attempt foiled, the bug male and the Byakugan female retreat to the latter's mansion. In her room, the female begins to cry. Surely, this would mean victory for the shades-clad male, but the sight of a defeated Hinata evokes guilt in him. His chances of being selected may have risen microscopically, but the blonde's chances of selecting Hinata have been reduced astronomically. Upon realizing this, Shino speaks to Hinata with utmost confidence and dominance. He tells her not to give up, not to abandon her way of the ninja. Hinata smiles, and they try for one final attempt to gain the clueless ninja's affection.

The sun begins to set, and the final insect studied by the pair today is found in the basement of the female's mansion. The June beetle, also known as the June bug, is common relative of the scarab beetle, and can be found in many locations throughout the hidden leaf. Judy, the female, anxiously awaits her mate as she begins to lay her eggs. Mark, the male, returns to the nest, carrying with him an ample supply of dung.

"Shino," the kunoichi cries, "I'm not giving Naruto dung!"

The boy in glasses raises an index finger to his lips. Shhhh. They continue observing.

Mark lays the dung on the floor of their temporary home. The heat of the dung increases the ambient temperatures such that baby June bugs emerge from the eggs, with a very ample supply of food waiting for them. Mark and June celebrate their offspring, and remain together until the larvae mature.

Nighttime arrives, and Naruto is still hungry, not having eaten anything all day. He has every right to complain. His lunch was stolen; he was bruised by a stranger; most importantly, he was berated by his superiors. He is indeed exhausted. The blonde ninja sighs, and sits down by a tree at the top of a mountain bearing the queen's likeness, and he looks up at the stars, pondering his destiny.

Awkwardly, the heiress appears in front of him, expressing a look of concern on her face. She is blushing profusely, but refuses to back down from her goal. She reaches out her hand to him. On her palm rests a steamy bowl of pork ramen, and two tickets to a movie from the local theatre. She cordially invites him to watch with her, her words evocating a strong sense of nobility and confidence.

The blonde, although enthralled and hypnotized by the prospect of his favorite meal, is more appealed by the female's sudden appearance and request. Smiling from ear to ear, he accepts her invitation first and foremost, before accepting the food. He consumes the bowl faster than what the female's Byakugan can detect, and perks up with a sense of fullness and romantic opportunity. He holds her hand, and together, they walk back to the village.

From a distance, Shino observes with warm intent. Having lost out on a potential mate, he feels defeat. However, seeing his best friend happy fills him with youthful energy, giving him confidence that the future will be filled with opportunities to experience the same thing.

--

**Author's Note:** So here's my one-shot for today. I love NaruHina, but I like ShinoHina as well, so I figure I could do some sort of mini-triangle story that satisfies both of my tastes. I did an experimental narrative style, so I hope it works out.

Oh, and this is my entry for DateMe's June contest. it's supposed to be ShinoHina, but I threw in a little bit of Naruto in there too. Hooray for the power of friendship! The facts about mantis and fruit fly mating rituals are a hundred percent true. the june bug ritual is not exactly true, as the ritual applies to scarab beetles more, but i used june bugs because they live in the basement, and because of the contest's namesake.


	4. Mood Killer by Love Notes x87

**Title:** Mood Killer  
**Author:** Love Notes x87  
**Rating:** PG-13 ( T )  
**Challenge:** June Bugs  
**Pairing: **ShinoHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Love Notes x87's personal profile.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata, 7 years old, walked along the meadow; bare feet on cool grass.

She was walking as fast as her little feet would carry her, toward the heart of the village.

It was hot and humid, as it always is in the summer, and the beautiful kimono she wore was stuck to her like a second skin.

Her father would probably be angry she was late for the annual Hanabi festival but the bundle of yellow flowers she had cut was worth his scolding.

A faint smile curled her lips and she began humming a silly little tune.

Everything Hinata did was strictly determined by her father, no questions asked.

But today, today was a special day.

'Festival spirit' had filled Hyuuga Hiashi's soul, she believed.

What else would explain her father giving her the day to do what _she_ wanted to do?

Taking advantage of the rare opportunity, Hinata spend the day lying on the grass, watching the fluffy clouds drift by, enjoying the warm sunshine, and collecting flowers.

But it was time to go home.

The shades of evening had already fallen and the moon was shinning on her face.

As Hinata got closer to the village, the shrill voices of small children playing could be heard and the delicious smell of food lingered in the air.

_Almost there_, she thought.

At the edge of the meadow flowed the river and Hinata took a moment to savor her last minutes alone.

Sometimes, it was good to be alone; to have time to think and dream away.

Hinata sat down, dangling her feet above the water, and held the flowers near her face to smell them.

_I should give these to Otousan_...

Across the river, a glowing speck of light caught her attention.

She blinked when the light moved.

She blinked again when the light came slowly toward her.

"A firefly..."

Hinata became enchanted with it.

It was, by far, the most beautiful firefly she had ever seen; the light it bore was as palpitating as an evening star.

Hinata placed her flowers on the grass and rose to her feet.

The firefly fluttered above her head, then fled.

She followed the small insect around.

Being too distracted to notice anything, she bumped into something - a rather _soft_ something.

And involuntary 'eep' sound escaped her lips and she fell with a thud to the ground.

_Ouch_.

Embarrassed, Hinata stood up quickly.

She bowed her head. "I - I'm s - sorry, I didn't s - see you, I - "

"Are you okay?"

"Er..."

She hastily glanced around.

...it didn't look like she was injured.

No wound, no blood, no visible bruise.

"Y - yes, I - I'm okay."

Slowly, Hinata raised her head.

Pale eyes blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

"Shi - Shino...kun?"

The 'kun' was added almost as an afterthought.

"Hinata."

A brief, somewhat awkward, silence ensued.

They weren't exactly friends.

Hinata...didn't really know him, she just knew _about_ him.

He was from the Aburame clan whose members always wore sunglasses; inside and out, day or night.

...and most kids in the village seemed to find him 'scary.'

_It's probably the bug-thing_, she thought.

Not knowing what to do next, Hinata began apologizing again.

The boy only shrugged his shoulders and carried on walking ahead.

He stopped a few feet away and sat down on the grass.

Hinata was about to run into the village when she noticed the small glowing jar in his hands.

Curiosity got the better of her and she kneeled down next to the boy, plenty of distance between them.

He gave her a curious once-over then glanced away.

"...what's that?" Hinata asked in a tiny voice.

"Fireflies," he replied simply.

She admired the glowing ball of captives.

"W- why are t - they in a jar?"

It could not be fun for fireflies or anybody else, for that matter, to be caught in a jar.

"Fireflies emit a brighter light when they are in distress."

She frowned a little.

"And t - that's why - that's why you caught them?"

Shino pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. "I study them for a little while and then I set them free."

"Oh."

She felt relieved.

"Wanna see?" he asked.

Hinata nodded and crept closer to him.

As soon as the boy unscrew the lid from the jar, there was a silent explosion of fireflies all around them.

Hinata watched the scene in absolute awe.

And then...

"Did you know?" Shino suddenly said, "sometimes frogs eat so many fireflies that you can see light glowing through the frog's skin. It's like they themselves glow."

"O - oh, re - really?" Hinata glanced around.

So all these will eventually end up in a frog's stomach?

That was sad.

...and gross.

Talk about a mood killer.

**The End.**

Thanks for reading.


	5. Power of Laughter by brokenAngel89

**Title:** Power of Laughter**  
Author:** brokenAngel89**  
Rating:** PG ( K+ )**  
Challenge: **June Bugs**  
Pairing:** ShinoHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in brokenAngel89's (aka, purpleLights on DA) personal profile.

* * *

Laughter is one of the best medicine in the world.

- Unknown

That saying to Shino, however, is illogical, unorthodox, and has no support what so ever. Medicine is based on:

Flowers.

Herbs.

Stems.

Catalysts.

Chemical reactions.

TESTING.

Modern knowledge.

But testing is most important, without testing the shinobi world would have never known how badly a single kunai could scar the internal organs of a body - especially reiterated.

Laughter has no logic, and as a proud member of the Aburame Clan, logic is something that every member believes (also the use of big words, and complex sentence structure). Laughter has no base, no records of it every saving a life or healing a wound, and bringing the dead back to life. Nothing of the sort. Laughter is better left as a THEORY than as an actual MEDICINE.

Just the image of an shinobi dying, and a medic nin coming - with nothing to heal with or wrap with - but their voice trying to make the man chuckle, and instead of that all he does is spit up blood. It made Shino twitch SLIGHTLY, but his profound respect for ants grew, they have their own section for the sick and wounded.  
It was a rare day for genin Team 8, they had a day off and Shino had opted for capturing bugs. On his way to the forest he saw Hinata - head bent, shoulders hunched together, and she was shuddering like she was crying.

"Oyhiyo, Hianta." Shino watched as she froze in perhaps shock? Perhaps she wasn't expecting company?

"O-ohiy-yo S-Shino." Hinata stutter uneasily, while Shino was mildly surprised; usually her stuttering was worse than this - especially when she cried.

An awkward silence took over the clearing. Hinata head was still bent, and her shudders had stopped; perhaps that it was an attempt to let her team mate know that she was alright and that he can go? However Shino paid that notion little effort as he continued to silently scrutinize the female genin of his squad.

There was a smell that came off of Hinata, it wasn't the usual cinnamon buns or flowers, it was something else... Ramen? Shino gain confirmation from his bugs that it was in fact ramen. Ramen, it was the favorite food of Hinata's long time crush, Uzumaki Naruto; sadly he was the only one that couldn't tell that she had a crush on him.

By closer examination Shino noted a large stain on Hinata's jacket; the source of the ramen smell. And by looking at the sun he judged the time of day and had slowly deduced what had might've happen. Hinata, on their day off, went to Ichiraku Ramen Bar to be next to Naruto, probably to wait out his sensei. Naruto must've had an altercation with either Haruno Sakura or Uchiha Sasuke, although Haruno Sakura seemed more likely to throw ramen. Either way ramen was thrown, Naruto ducked and the hot ramen landed on Hinata's jacket; she was chagrin and ran away.

"Hibiscus and orchids are in bloom around this time, are they not?" he inquired slowly and pushed his sunglasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

"H-hai," slowly Hinata got up and led the way to the field, a grateful smile graced her lips. It was quiet on their way to the field, but it was a comfortable silence; being team meats they got accustomed to each other presence.

At an leisurely pace the duo reached the field in 15 minutes. Shino watched as Hinata immediately went to where the wild flowers are. The smile on her lips got bigger as she notice a butterfly resting on a flower she was observing and went to touch it, only to have it get out of her reach. As Hinata lowered her hand the butterfly came back and landed on her nose, wings spread before it left to find another flower.

A soft giggle escaped her mouth.

After seeing the interaction between Hinata and the butterfly Shino outstretched his right arm and within seconds lots of butterflies and lady bugs arrived. Giggles from Hinata got louder as clusters of butterflies swarmed together; their different colours clashing with one another; reminding Hinata of the inside of a Crayon box.  
Butterflies spiraled around Hinata, while lady bugs crawled on her sensitive skin; the giggles from before turned into full blown laughter.

Shino was happy to see that Hinata was no longer upset about what had occured earlier (and he wouldn't reming her either).

Even if laughter has no base, Shino was willing to concede that laughter does works miracles.

**Author Notes:**

This is my entry for the DateMe contest for June June Bug. Also its my first time doing Hinata and Shino – or Shino for the matter, so sorry if he's not in character.

How was it, eh?


	6. Once in a Blue Moon by LadyKnightofHolly

**Title:** Once in a Blue Moon**  
Author:** LadyKnightofHollyrose**  
Rating:** G ( K )**  
Challenge:** June Bugs  
**Paring:** ShinoHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in LadyKnightofHollyrose's (aka, LadyKnightofHollyros on DA) personal profile.

* * *

As Shino strode to his seat, nondescript as ever, he was not surprised in the slightest as the sounds of varied shrieks and squeals attacked his ears from behind.  
Sitting down, he focused his chakra in an attempt to calm his Kikai bugs (restless because of the upsetting vibrations since entering the room), though this too was disrupted as a high pitched voice broke his concentration.

"Squash it, squash it!"

If the shrillness of the voice wasn't enough to send a shiver down the stoic Aburame's spine, then the words uttered certainly were.

Glasses flashed as his head snapped around, his eyes zoning in on the scene. A small crowd was beginning to gather around the desks on the top right hand corner of the classroom as academy students clustered around what was known to be Haruno Sakura's table.

There was a shrill cry of "Get that thing away from me!" before Shino rose resolutely from his seat to investigate.

His blood ran cold at the sight beyond the sea of heads; a small spider, barely an inch in terms of size (including the length of its legs) was perched on the desk between two terrified (and frankly terrifying) kunoichi. Opposite them stood Naruto, arms raised, fingers grasping a book, evidently waiting for the right moment to drop it and subsequently flatter the poor creature below it.

Had he not been so concerned about the spider's well being, he may even have taken a moment to warn the blond that killing a spider would not catch the Haruno girl's attention. Ok, he probably would not have, but he did not usually point out the obvious.

Behind the high collar of his coat, Shino's lips quirked down in a barely perceptible frown; how could kunoichi be expected to carry out high level missions if they were rendered useless by arachnophobia when the spider in question was so much smaller than they themselves were?

The situation seemed to escalate as Naruto's eyes narrowed in concentration as he followed the tiny spider's movements with his eyes. One finger uncurled from the book and Shino's heart all but stopped. He had to intervene!

"W-w-wait!"

All eyes turned to the source of the noise, the spider forgotten for a moment.

Shino's brows almost shot up when he recognised Hyuuga Hinata, easily the shyest (and probably the kindest) member of their year group. The analytical side of his mind stepped back from the spider-situation for a moment, and he noted how intriguing it was to find the girl intentionally thrusting herself into the spotlight that she always seemed to avoid.

Indeed, her usually pale complexion slowly coloured as the eyes of the whole class trained on her as she made her way though the crowd. She didn't need to push or shove her way to the desk (though it was practically common knowledge that she would never do such a thing regardless), as the cluster parted, allowing her to pass.

She gulped audibly as she came under the scrutiny of two pairs of eyes – one pair electric blue and one sea green.

Hinata turned to address Sakura, who observed her classmate with curiosity and slight confusion.  
"Um… Sakura-san, w-would you mind the sp-spider so much if it wasn't… um… here?"

Sakura's brow furrowed slightly in thought as she tried to make sense of the question, and why _Hinata_ was asking her this.

"I wouldn't care if it was nowhere near _me_, I guess…"

The petite girl approached the other side of the desk, and Shino began to understand her plan.  
She took a book out from under her arm and aligned it with the edge of the table as her small hand hovered behind the spider tentatively.

A number of the kunoichi in the surrounding crowd gasped as she gently guided the spider to the book, never once actually coming in contact with the creature itself.

The mass of students - which had melded together so that they could stare at those in the middle – separated hastily to let Hinata through.

'Amazing how such a tiny creature could instil such fear in (almost) grown human beings,' was the thought that struck Shino as Hinata ambled towards the door. More newly arrived students scrambled out of her way as they caught a glimpse of the spider scuttling across the book.

Hinata struggled with the door for a short while. Nobody moved or even attempted to offer the girl assistance and eventually she used her elbow to push down the door handle and her shoulder to nudge the door wide enough to edge through the room.

A collective sigh sounded around the room as the door swung shut behind her – and more importantly the spider. Sakura turned her attention back to Ino beside her and they began to bicker again. Naruto eyed what had been Hinata's retreating form for a moment, as though puzzling over something, before jumping to Sakura's (unwanted) defence.

Shino shook his head as he returned to his seat, still deep in thought regardless of the steadily escalating commotion around him.

Indeed, the whole spectacle that morning had truly been intriguing…

x X x

Umino Iruka strolled through the corridor, going through a mental checklist of the objectives he needed to cover in his next lesson, as he often did, when he was stopped by the sound of a soft voice.

"I-I'm sorry Spider-san; I hope they didn't a-actually hurt you. Y-you should be safe now though…"

Iruka watched with mild amusement as his timid student let the said spider go through the window, holding the book that it had been on up to rest level with the ledge, reaching it only by standing on the tips of her toes.

"And what exactly did you save Spider-san from, Hinata-san?"

The small girl jumped slightly and was only saved from stumbling by Iruka himself, who gently steadied her.

Sparing her of the need to reply, he assured her, "It's fine. I have a fair idea about what the problem probably was." Steering her back towards the classroom he could already hear the clamour that undoubtedly came from _his_ class (the voice of a certain student that he was particularly fond of was clearly identifiable, even a corridor away).

Reaching the correct door after a quiet walk, Iruka opened the door (Naruto had attempted the board rubber prank a couple of days ago, so he hadn't any reason to take precautionary measures upon entering) and held it open for the Hyuuga heiress, who shuffled inside and murmured a quiet "Thank you".

Instead of taking the direct route to his desk, Iruka paused a moment and Hinata turned to eye him curiously.

He leaned down so that she would be able to hear him over all of the noise and said, "I'm sure that Spider-san will be fine now, Hinata-san."

She seemed to relax slightly after hearing the promise. Giving him a respect filled bow, she trotted back up to the benches to find her designated seat.

Taking a seat himself and setting his paperwork down on his desk, Iruka noted that Hinata was stopped by a fellow classmate (arguably as much of an introvert as she) on her way back.  
As a teacher in the Academy, Iruka had picked up the indispensable skill of lip-reading: he observed the exchange between the heirs of two clans with growing interest.

"Ah, Hinata-san?" The kunoichi-in-training turned slowly to regard the other, apparently wondering whether she had misheard and that she _hadn't_actually been called. It was a little hard to tell, but it seemed as though Aburame Shino was giving her his undivided attention. She gave a tentative nod as a prompt for him to continue.

"The way that you defended and rescued a creature from adversaries who were more powerful that itself was admirable. For that you have my respect."  
Shino's glasses flashed.

As far as he could remember, this was the most that Iruka had heard the quiet boy say to his fellow classmates at one time – and if the wide-eyes look of astonishment was any indication, then the same was most likely true for her too.

Then – as Iruka had guessed – the girl's face flushed to turn a ripe shade of pink.

"Th-thank you, Shino-san!" She gave him a small bow, but was then startled into a jump as Iruka finally bellowed for his class to shut up and sit in their places (also taking the opportunity to threaten them with the consequences of missing homework).

The lesson was fairly uneventful - barring the occasionally outburst from Naruto, having to scold Chouji for eating and throwing chalk at Shikamaru in an attempt to rouse the boy – all in a day's work, really. And in true Friday-afternoon-fashion as soon as class was dismissed there was a sudden surge as everyone pushed and shoved in an effort to escape school for the weekend.

Iruka was gathering his own belongings (ready to go to the staffroom for a coffee before he started marking homework there) when he realised that actually, he wasn't alone. His surprise was only betrayed by a blink as he watched Aburame Shino take measured steps towards him.

"Was there something you wanted to discuss, Shino-san?"

"Would I be correct in understanding that after graduation, genin are divided into three man cells which consist of two boys and a kunoichi?"

Iruka nodded, impressed. He always found it odd that even children from shinobi families assumed that hey would work alone, even after being introduced to the teams of their relatives – he'd often heard complaints of 'having to tam up' when the initial squads were assembled.  
"Then may I request that our class graduates, the kunoichi assigned to my cell is Hyuuga Hinata-san?"

Iruka studied him for a moment before saying slowly, "I think I can see where this is going… Hinata-san will respect your kikaichi jutsu and fight alongside it while some of the other kunoichi would be distracted by the technique." His voice lowered slightly as he continued to ponder the idea, almost as though he was just thinking to himself, "…and with your abilities combined, the squad would be specifically geared for tracking… This could work very well. Shino-san, I'll have a word with the other teachers on the matter, but you needn't worry about graduation yet,"

Shino nodded and thanked the man before turning on his heel and briskly excusing himself.

The more Iruka contemplated on the idea, the more Shino's proposal seemed to make sense; he was really rather impressed by Shino's foresight… Despite the fact that this class still had a couple of years before graduation, he found himself trying to come up with a third member to the team over his mug of coffee.

x X x

As Shino stepped out of the Academy and began his journey home, he couldn't help but think of one reason for his request that Iruka-Sensei had neglected to mention: that Hinata was _nice _(and every time since, even when Hinata chose to be assertive – which only ever occurred once in a blue moon – Shino found himself confirming that initial assessment).

— — —

**Author's Notes: **So I've finally managed to write something that's not AU (if you don't count drabbles) in the Naruto Fandom! This ShinoHina oneshot was written as my entry for this month for "DateMe" (who have a profile here, and on DeviantArt - go check all the entries out!). It's also my first time writing Iruka and Shino...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this :)

-Hollyrose-


	7. Ornithophobia by Ms Videl Son

**Title:** Ornithophobia**  
Author:** Ms. Videl Son**  
Rating:** G ( K )**  
Challenge:** June Bugs**  
Pairing:** ShinoHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Ms. Videl Son's (aka, megaminoeien on DA) personal profile.

* * *

"B-Bird-san doesn't want to hurt you, Shino-kun," Hinata reassured in the most calm, soothing fashion she could muster. The raised volume of her voice, however, somewhat undermined this purpose. "Why don't you come say hello?"

From across the yard – a good twenty feet away – her bug-loving teammate blanched from underneath his hood. He didn't reply to Hinata verbally, but shook his head to and fro with panicked finality.

Hinata looked down at the feathery little bundle nestled comfortably in her cupped hands. The infant mockingbird chirruped up at her as if to say, "I don't get it, either. Just look at how cute I am!"

"R-Really, Shino-kun, bird-san is perfectly harmless!" Hinata insisted loudly, taking a slow step towards Shino with the fearsome creature still in her possession.

As if on reflex, Shino jumped back another few feet until his back hit the wall that ran around the perimeter of the Hyuuga compound. Though it was impossible to see the entirety of his face through his hood and sunglasses, the small part that was visible to Hinata was scrunched up in utter terror.

Hinata wasn't quite sure what to do next. Should she put the mockingbird chick down before going to comfort her friend? Or was it best to bring the bird to Shino and let him see that there was nothing to be afraid of? It was a conundrum, indeed.

"S-Shino-kun, are you sure you wouldn't like to meet bird-san?" she asked again, sure of what the answer would be.

As predicted, Shino shook his head to the negative effect again. Surprisingly, he even uttered "no thank you" as verbal confirmation of his refusal. Hinata decided that this, if anything, proved how truly phobic Shino was of birds.

Hinata looked to the bird, then up at Shino, and back to the bird once again. It was time to make a decision...

"I'm sorry, bird-san," she apologized, bowing her head respectfully to the fluffy little animal within her grasp. She then proceeded to carry it over to the porch and place it gently in the little makeshift nest she'd crafted for it out of a shoe box and scraps of linen. It peeped at her mournfully and flapped its wings, distressed to be away from her. Hinata's heart clenched with guilt, but she resolutely stood up and turned towards her human friend.

Taking only enough time to throw her long braid over her shoulder where it could dangle down her back, Hinata took a deep breath and began her slow approach toward Shino, now completely bird-free. It was her fervent hope that she could convince Shino that there was nothing to fear out of such a helpless little creature, but she knew it would be an uphill battle.

As she began moving in Shino's direction, she was slightly hurt to see that he recoiled away from her still, but marched onward to him nonetheless. Once she got close enough for him to see that her feathery burden had been removed from her person, however, he visibly relaxed. Hinata felt a little better about that.

"Are you alright, Shino-kun...?" she asked, the usual level of quiet softness returned to her voice.

After pulling his body away from the wall and slouching back down into his usual posture, he replied simply, "Yes, fine."

"Are you s-sure?"

"Yes, Hinata-san."

"Umm...," the Hyuuga heiress bit her lip as she thought of the best way to phrase her next question. She didn't want to offend her friend, after all. "D-Do you mind if I ask...why you're afraid of bird-san?"

Yet again, Shino's face bled white from beneath his hood and glasses. Melodramatically, he turned away from Hinata and pressed his forearm against the wall before proceeding to bury his head within it. He looked like the silly hero from a romantic comedy series.

Immediately, Hinata began to panic. Had she said something to hurt his feelings? Was he angry with her? Did even mentioning the bird warrant some kind of episode? With her own measure of alarm, she did her best to take back what she'd said. "I-If you don't w-want to talk about it, I completely understand! I-It's really none of my business, anyway, and I'm sorry if I – "

"It's fine."

"Eh?"

Shino lifted his head way from the wall just long enough to peek at Hinata over his shoulder. "It's fine," he repeated, then returned to his former gloomy position.

A long, tense silence stretched between the two teammates for what felt like an hour. During this span of time, Hinata fidgeted with her fingers, swayed back and forth from foot to foot and chewed on her lower lip as she battled within herself about what to do or say next. Shino remained perfectly still.

"They're...," Shino began, causing Hinata to jump. She hadn't been expecting him to broach further conversation first. "_Cruel_."

"C-Cruel?" she queried, utterly confused. Was he still talking about birds, or...not?

"Birds. They...they swoop down on their enemies from nowhere and spear them with their beaks. Then, they gobble them up alive and squirming and...and _regurgitate _them for their young," Shino reported with a shiver. "So cruel..."

"Oh, um...," Hinata wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. She'd always thought of them as cute little birdies, not ravenous, vomiting monsters. Still, from what she knew of the creatures, she had to admit that what Shino said was true...at least to a less scary degree.

Then again, considering how fond he and his clan were of bugs, it didn't surprise Hinata in the least that he might take a more frightening view of such otherwise harmless creatures. Birds were natural predators to insects, after all...

Once again, she looked to the cute little birdie, then Shino, and back to the bird again. This time, she sighed before reaching out to her friend and patting him on the back. Even if she still didn't quite get it, she sympathized with him, nonetheless. "There, there, Shino-kun..."


	8. Attraction by Ms Videl Son

**Title:** Attraction**  
Author:** Ms. Videl Son**  
Rating:** PG ( K+ )**  
Challenge:** June Bugs**  
Pairing: **ShinoHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Ms. Videl Son's (aka, megaminoeien on DA) personal profile.

* * *

As Hinata rubbed the dying cabbage leaf between her fingers, she sighed. It seemed like her trap wasn't working properly...

Her lamenting gaze shifted slowly to the sagging plastic bag that hung suspended over the school's vegetable garden and she sighed again, a little heavier this time. Despite the assurances on it's packaging, the "Bag-a-Bug" trap had done little to protect the club's precious veggies and their crop was as full of nibble holes as ever. How depressing!

Hinata simply didn't understand what had gone wrong with her simple plan to rid the school gardens of the pesky Japanese beetles. Why, despite the copious amounts of chemical insecticide that she'd thrown into the bag, had there been such a weak effect on her prey? And why, oh _why_, did there actually seem to be more beetles around than before? It was a truly mind-boggling conundrum...

"Maybe I didn't use enough repellant...?" Hinata wondered to herself, tilting her head curiously at the bag. Inside, the June bugs buzzed cheerfully as they wriggled around in their multi-legged lump.

"It's an attractant."

"Eep!" Hinata squealed, falling from her squatting position onto her bottom as her body jerked in surprised response to the voice that had suddenly interjected itself into her muddled thoughts. Why were people at this school so adept at sneaking up on her?

"Are you alright, Hinata-san?" the voice asked gently, now much closer than before.

Turning to peek over her shoulder at the owner of the voice, Hinata stammered, "S-Shino-kun! Wh-What are you still doing here?"

Aburame Shino, one of her two biology lab partners and consistent attendee to the Konoha High School gardening club, was resting on his haunches only a few feet behind her, his expression as unreadable as ever. In the bright light of the sunny June afternoon, his dark sunglasses flashed, causing Hinata to squint at the glare they gave off. "I'm here for club," he said simply.

"There's n-no club today," Hinata informed him, rubbing the fuzzy dots out of her eyes with the back of one hand. "Lee-senpai had an emergency. I th-think he said something about having a run in his favorite jogging suit..."

"Oh," replied Shino, his listless expression unchanged. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, um...," Hinata looked back to the heavily burdened Bag-a-Bug sack and frowned a little. "I was j-just checking on my trap. I don't think it helped any..."

"You should have put it further away from the garden."

Hinata turned her attention back to Shino. "Wh-What?"

Shino pointed to the beetle trap with one extended index finger. "The chemicals used in these sorts of traps are attractants, not repellants. You need to put it far away from the garden or else you'll have more beetles than before."

"Oh...," the Hyuuga heiress replied, feeling a large drop of sweat trickle down the side of her face.

Hinata felt silly. No, silly was too nice of a word...she felt _stupid_. Surely, the package had said exactly what Shino had just revealed to her, yet she'd still mistaken the manufacturer-provided chemicals as repellant instead of attractant. It was all her fault that the garden was now ruined...

Hinata jumped again as a hand descended upon her shoulder. Shino's voice followed immediately after, as monotonous as ever, yet oddly soothing. "Don't feel bad, Hinata-san. It's a common mistake."

"But – "

"And thank you for using such a humane trap. Most gardeners prefer to kill their pests," he continued, a surprising edge of passion in his tone now (slight though it was).

Hinata blinked at him, bewildered. "Um...well, they seem pretty h-harmless to me, so I didn't want to k-kill them..."

"Very honorable, Hinata-san."

"Th-Thank you..."

An awkward span of silence followed in which Shino's hand remained fixed on Hinata's shoulder and Hinata's eyes stayed trained on the dark round orbs that covered Shino's eyes. They passed several moments like this, neither speaking or moving, until yet another voice interrupted their individual thoughts.

"What are you doing here, Aburame?"

Both teens swivelled their heads to face the newest addition to their little group. One of them flushed a bright shade of crimson while the other simply lifted a mildly surprised eyebrow. "Sasuke-san," the latter greeted.

Uchiha Sasuke, who had failed to show up to the gardening club meetings even once since April, was standing a few yards away on the school lawn, his backpack thrown over one shoulder in a deceptively easy-going fashion. His face, however, was tense and his eyes were somehow darker than usual.

Hinata lowered her gaze from the scowling Uchiha before saying anything to him herself. "G-Good afternoon, S-Sasuke-san..."

"Hyuuga," he replied. Hinata was too frightened to look back up at him, but she was almost positive that he was..._leering_ at her again. He had been doing that ever since the...unpleasantness from a couple months prior. Hinata shivered just thinking about his cold eyes lingering on her.

"You didn't answer my question, Aburame," Sasuke accused from out of Hinata's eyeline.

The responding voice of Shino was mild and disinterested. "I'm helping Hinata-san empty her beetle trap."

"So do it, then."

"Very well."

Abruptly, Shino's hand removed itself from Hinata's shoulder and she felt her classmate rise up onto his feet behind her. As he did this, she turned to gaze up at him and realized that he was holding a helpful hand out to her, clearly anticipating that she'd take it. Fully willing to acquiesce, Hinata placed one dainty palm atop of his and allowed his strength to take over.

When he had pulled her fully upright, Hinata found herself only a few scant centimeters away from him. There was barely enough room between them for their hands to remain locked together and, were she to take a particularly deep breath, their chests would easily touch one another's. She hadn't been this close to a boy since...well, Sasuke.

Feeling the apples of her cheeks burning with embarrassment yet again, Hinata kept her face averted from Shino's, wondering secretly if he was as uncomfortable by their proximity as she was. Surely he would be considering the hot June sun that beat down on them from up above and the dark, standard-issue suit jacket that he was currently wearing. If that were the case, then why didn't they break apart?

Before Hinata could take the initiative to pull away from Shino herself, she felt him lean down towards her until their cheeks brushed one another's. She could feel the heavy thrum of his voice within his chest as he whispered discreetly into her ear, "He's attracted to you, you know."

Before Hinata even had the chance to step back – much less muster the words necessary to ask Shino whom he meant – she felt herself rudely jerked away from him by a pair of strong, firm hands on her upper arms.

"Come on, Hyuuga," Sasuke commanded, his tone harsh and impatient. "I'll walk you home. You can leave, too, Aburame."

Before Hinata could even fathom what was happening, Sasuke was leading her away from the school gardens, one arm looped firmly around her torso so that her own were pinned down to her sides. "B-But – " was the only word she could form fully in protest. It was obvious that she shouldn't have even bothered, though, as Sasuke seemed completely intent in whisking her away from the campus as fast as possible.

Just as they were rounding the corner of the main building, Hinata managed to cast one last fleeting glance over her shoulder at what she had been forced to leave behind. The figure that was Aburame Shino was already gone and so were the beetles she'd ensnared in her trap.


End file.
